Pooling Resources
by Basmathgirl
Summary: The Doctor asks Donna to investigate a swimming pool. So why exactly is he doing that?


**Summary:** The Doctor is determined to send in Donna to investigate a pool.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Doctor Who characters, or, sadly, even a pool.

**A/N:** I suppose that I ought to point out that Sooty is a mute handpuppet that has been on children's tv for yonks.

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The Doctor made a quick reconnoitre of the pool side area and then sidled up to Donna.

"Okay Donna, nothing serious over there, so in you get," he told her.

"You what? Me? Why have I got to get in to the water?" she demanded. "Why can't you do it?"

"I'm needed here, on the surface," he insisted. "Come on, don't be shy. Strip off."

"What? You have got to be joking! I'm not going in on my own," she huffed.

"I'll be right here by the side of the pool, making sure nothing attacks you," he encouraged her. "I've checked that nothing dangerous is in there."

"So why exactly do I need to go in there again?" she delayed him.

He sighed, "Because we need to know what that Bolart left down there, and it doesn't need two of us to get in to find it."

"Surely we'd find whatever it is quicker with both of us looking?" she reasoned. "I haven't even got a pair of swimming goggles with me to help search the bottom of the pool. It could take me hours!"

"It might only take you minutes!" Seeing her glare at him, he changed tack by putting an arm around her, "You're brilliant, Donna! I have every faith in your abilities."

She looked him straight in the eyes, "There's something else going on here. I don't believe you! If you were any other bloke I'd say you were out to ogle me, but this is a whole different kettle of fish!"

He spluttered under her scrutiny, "There's nothing going on here that I'm not telling you." He hesitated slightly before looking her up and down, "And I'm not ogling you. Not that I'm saying it's beyond possibility or that I wouldn't if…" He pouted as she giggled at his discomfort, "That's not fair! Alright, I wouldn't ogle, but I can be normal like any other bloke!"

"Yeah, 'cos you could; and I could marry Prince Andrew but let's face it, it's not going to happen," she pointed out.

"Why would you want to marry Prince Andrew? I didn't know you had plans to!" his expression grew even more puzzled when she burst out laughing.

"You can be incredibly dim at times. Did you know that?" she asked.

"Judging by the number of times you say that, I don't think I'm in any danger of remaining in ignorance," he sarkily replied.

"Ooh! Touched a sore spot with that one, didn't I?" she sneered. "So what else aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing!" he said far too quickly as he darted his attention from her to the pool and back again.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" she sing-songed, and was rewarded by him blushing deeply. "Don't tell me… those aren't really trousers but the true colour of your legs," she gleefully wrongly guessed on purpose.

"No! These are definitely trousers," he smirked.

"Okay. Are you dissolvable in water?" she tried again. "Are you a giant aspirin or Alka-Seltzer tablet?"

"No!" he laughed. "I'm not soluble."

She considered him carefully, "Did you have a mad and passionate affair with a mermaid and now you can't cope with going into the water?"

"Not exactly, no! Nothing to do with mermaids," he giggled.

"Oh, I don't know! You have a deep and abiding fear of swimming in case a form of shark materialises and challenges you to a game of chess!" she bit out. "Give us a clue, for goodness sake!"

He paled slightly, "You've… er… partly got it."

"What? The shark or the chess?" she pressed.

"The swimming bit," he mumbled.

"Pardon? What was that, Sooty?" she joked.

"The… erm… swimming," he gave a small cough as he repeated this slightly more clearly.

"You are kidding me!" there was a gleam in her eyes now. "Are you really telling me you have a fear of…," but the anxiety on his face stopped her from completing her sentence. "Why didn't you tell me before, Spaceman?" she softly asked him as she laid a comforting hand on his arm.

He merely shrugged, and held his gaze downcast, "'Cos I didn't."

"I don't think any less of you because of it," she assured him; and he lifted his head to beam gratefully at her.

"So you'll get into the pool for me?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll do it!" she agreed. "And if anyone asks, I'll say that I did this because it's what I _do_."

"Thank you, Donna!" he pulled her into a hug.

"Get off," she complained but smiled despite herself. She took off her shoes and removed her jacket, "No looking at my bum, okay?"

"Yes, Donna," he confirmed.

She sat down on the edge of the pool, "And no gawping at my boobs when I come out!"

"Definitely not, Donna," he hastily agreed.

"And, Doctor?" she went to slip into the pool, "You owe me! Big time!"

"Always, Donna," he chuckled; and kept a careful lookout for anything unusual.

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End file.
